Billet transfer mechanism



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United States Patent O N' U.S. Cl. 214--29 5 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a device for pushing a billet in one of two lateral directions from supporting members holding the billet after the billet has been removed from the exit end of a furnace. Means are disclosed to control the direction in which the billet is pushed.

This invention relates to processing of heated metal billets. In one of its aspects it relates to a device for pushing heated billets from supporting members wherein means are provided to control the pushing mechanism so that the billet can be pushed in alternate directions.

In copending Ser. No. 686,122, tiled Nov. 28, 1967, now U.S. Patent 3,415,393, there is disclosed and claimed a billet retrieving mechanism for removing billets from the end of a billet pusher heating furnace. The billets are Withdrawn from the end of the furnace and are then pushed by a pusher mechanism onto an inclined plane at one side of the retrieving mechanism for further processing such as extruding.

'Occasionally a billet will be rejected because it is improperly sized for a particular operation, or for some other reason. It would be desirable to remove the billets from the system before it reaches the extruder. Frequently, the conveying system is at least semi-automatic and once the billet is positioned in the system, it is difficult to remove the same. To perform the removal operation by hand, as by catching the billet as it goes down the inclined plane or by lifting it off the retriever as it is withdrawn from the furnace, is quite dangerous since the billets are hot and sometimes quite heavy.

In some operations, two extruders can be run simul taneously using a single heating furnace. It would therefore be desirable to have the conveyor for each eXtruder positioned adjacent the end of the furnace so that the billets can be automatically passed to one conveyor or the other without manual handling.

By various aspects of this invention one or more of the following, or other, objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invention to prvide a mechanism fr removing billets from a billet retriever in such a manner that the direction of travel of the billets from the billet retriever can be automatically controlled.

It is a further object of .this invention to provide a device for automatically removing metal billets from a system wherein the billets are automatically moved from the exit end of the furnace to an extrusion machine wherein the removal is done at the exit end of the fumace.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device for controlling the direction of movement of heated billets for processing in one of a number of billet processing systems.

Other aspects, objects, and the several advantages of this invention are apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a device for processing hot billets which are heated in a furnace. The device can be used in conjunction with retrieving means for withdrawing a billet from the exit end of the furnace and with means to position the billet at a locus 3,487,962 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 ICC exteriorly of the furnace. The device comprises spaced billet supporting surfaces adjacent said retriever exteriorly of the furnace. The surfaces are positioned so that the heated articles at the locus can be moved from the locus onto the surfaces. In particular, the device has a pusher means and a means for selectively controlling the pusher means to push a billet at the locus onto any of the surfaces for further processing.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of an apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial end view like FIG. 2, showing the actuation of the device to push the billets sideways in a first direction;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2, showing the device modified to push billets in a second direction;

FIG. 5 is an end view of the modified device shown in FIG. 4, showing the actuation of the device to push the billets in a second direction; and

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view taken along lines Vl-VI of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, a heating furnace 2 is provided for heating metal billets. The billets are withdrawn from the exit end of the furnace by a billet retrieving mechanism 4 and are brought into contact with a stop plate 76 after being withdrawn from the furnace. The billets 12 are then removed from the supporting structure by a billet pusher 6 so that the billets 12 roll down inclined surfaces 10 or 8.

The billet heating furnace 2 has a pair of supporting end rails 16 and an exit door 14. The billets are heated within the heating zone by conventional heating means such as direct flame impingement or other suitable means. The billets are pushed intermittently through the furnace on rails 16' having rollers 13. All of the billets are in contact with each other and all billets are moved simultaneously by the introduction of another billet into the entrance end of the furnace. The exit door 14 has means for raising and lowering the same for removing the billets 12.

The billet retrieving mechanism 4 has been described `and claimed in copending application, Ser. No. 686,122, filed Nov. 28, 1967, which application is incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, the retrieving mechanism 4 comprises a pair of spaced parallel rails 18 having outwardly directed flanges 20 for supporting different size billets as illustrated by the phantom lines in FIG. 2. The end of rails 18 are inclined downwardly, forming wedging surfaces for the billets. The spaced parallel rails 18 are supported by members 22 which in turn are connected to a cart 26 which rolls on wheels 24 on rails 25. The cart is driven by a fluid cylinder 28 having cables 30 and 32 attached to either end of the cart. The billet mechanism per se, has been disclosed and claimed in said copending patent application, Ser. No. 686,122, filed Nov. 28, 1967, and does not constitute the subject of this application.

The billet pusher mechanism 6 is supported by vertical supports 34, and horizontal supports 36 and 38, all of which are suitably joined together such as by welding. A shaft 40 is journalled in end plates 42 and is rigidly connected to a plurality of T-shaped depending flanges 44. 4Rollers 46 and 48 are attached to each side of the lower portion of the T-shaped flanges 44. Brace plates 50 and 52 are affixed to each side of the T-shaped anges 44 adjacent to the rollers. A pair of spaced plates 54 are rigidly affixed to the outer end of shaft 40. Each spaced parallel plate 54 has a hole 56 and 58 for pivotally attaching the plates 54 to cylinder rod 66 through pin 57 (FIG. 6). A fluid cylinder 60 is pivotably supported at pin 62 on base support 64. A head 68 having hole 67 3 is provided on the extendible cylinder rod 66 for attaching the upper end of rod 66 to the parallel plates 65 (FIG. 6). The pin 57 is attached at its outer end to one end of a chain 59 which is fixed at its other end to the outer plate 54.

The spaced parallel rails 18 of the billet retrieving mechanism 4 ride on and between ang-le irons forming horizontal rails 70. The whole retrieving device is supported by vertical supports 72, horizontal supports 73, and base members 74. An end plate 76 is affixed to the outer vertical supports 34 above the rails 18.

A switch is provided at plate 76 to actuate the fluid operated cylinder 60 as the 'billets strike stop plate 76. The switch has a cam follower member 80 which actuates a solenoid valve 82. The flow of fluid, which can be gas or liquid, to cylinder 60 is controlled by solenoid valve 82.

In operation, a billet 12 at the exit end of the furnace is wedged upwardly by the forward ends of rails 18 as they move into the exit end of the furnace 2. The rails 18 continue to move into the furnace until the end billet falls onto the rails 18. The billet is then Withdrawn from the furnace on the rails 18, the parallel rails 18, being actuated by fiuid cylinder 28 through cart 26. As the billet is withdrawn from the furnace, the end of the billet strikes plate 76 lwhich limits the extent of travel of the billet 12 away from the furnace 2. The rails 18 continue the movement away from the furnace so that the billet is positioned at least in part, on horizontal rails 70. At this point, the fluid cylinder 60 is actuated to extend cylinder rod 66 upwardly to rotate rod 40 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. This causes the billet to be pushed off rails 70 onto inclined surface 8 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In mill operations where more than one extrusion press is operating, for example, along either side of the heating furnace, or Where certain billets must be discarded, it is advantageous to be able to move the billets in either lateral direction off rails 70.

When it is desirable to push the billet down the inclined surface 10, the pin 57 is removed from hole 56 of plate 54. The rod 40 is rotated counterclockwise until hole 58 aligns with the hole 67 in head 68. The pin 57 is then put through hole 58 and hole 67 in head 68. At this point, the piston rod is extended so that the billet pusher 6 is in the position shown in FIG. 4. The billet can then be withdrawn from the end of the furnace as described hereinbefore and positioned against plate 76. The piston rod is then retracted to push the billet down inclined plane as shown in FIG. 5.

If the fluid operated cylinder 60 is actuated by a switch each time the pusher mechanism removes a billet from the rails 18 and/ or rails 70, confusion can be avoided by the use of a single reversing selector switch (not shown). The selector switch will actuate the cylinder to move the flanges 44 in a counterclockwise direction in one position and in a clockwise direction in the other position. Automatic controls can also be provided for extending the rod 66 when the selector switch is switched from the first position to the second position so that the billet can be properly positioned adjacent stop plate 76 without striking the end of pusher mechanism 6.

Whereas the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the means for reversing the direction of the pusher mechanism can comprise an arcuate slot whose center of curvature is the center of rod 40 with pin 57 lbeing replaced by a fastening bolt for xing the position of plates 54 relative to the head 68 of cylinder rod 66. As another example, the fluid cylinder can be replaced by other mechanical actuating means.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus for processing hot billets heated in a furnace, said apparatus comprising retrieving means for withdrawing a billet from the exit end of said furnace to a locus exteriorly of said furnace; spaced billet supporting surfaces adjacent said retrieving means exteriorly of said furnace, said surfaces positioned so that heated billets at said locus can move from said locus onto said surfaces; the improvement which comprises:

pusher means;

a shaft supporting said pusher means for rotation about an axis above said locus;

a fluid operated cylinder having an extendible rod;

a plate member fixed to said shaft lat one end, and said plate member being coupled to an end of said fluid operated cylinder at another end thereof;

means for selectively controlling said pusher means to push a billet at said locus onto any of said surfaces for further processing, said selectively controlling means including first and second spaced fastening means at said other end of said plate, means cooperating With said first and second fastening means for releaseably and pivotably attaching said end of said cylinder to said plate, said fastening means being s0 spaced las to position said pusher means for pushing a billet from said locus exteriorly of said furnace onto one of said surfaces when said attaching means is cooperating with said first fastening means, and sa-id first and second fastening means being so spaced so as to position said pusher means for pushing a billet from said locus exteriorly of said furnace onto the other of said surfaces when said attaching means is cooperating with said second fastening means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said surfaces comprise two downwardly sloping surfaces on either side of said locus adjacent said furn-ace exit end with an upper end of each of said surfaces adjacent said supporting element is withdrawn from said furnace exit end.

3. An appara-tus according to claim 1 wherein said pusher means is positioned on the opposite side of said locus from said one surface when said end of said cylinder is attached to said first fastening means and said cylinder extendible rod is retracted within said cylinder whereby when said extendible rod is extended, said pusher means will move toward said one surface to push a billet at said locus onto said one surface; and said pusher means is positioned on the opposite side of said locus from said other surface when said end of said cylinder is attached to said second fastening means and said cylinder extendible rod is extended, whereby when said extendible rod is retracted, said pusher means will move toward said other surface to push a billet at said locus onto said other surface.

4. In an apparatus for processing hot billets heated in Ia furnace, said apparatus comprising retrieving means for withdrawing a billet from the exit end of said furnace t0 a locus exteriorly of said furnace; spaced billet supporting surfaces adjacent said retrieving means exteriorly of said furnace, said surfaces positioned so that heated billets at said locus can move from said locus onto said surfaces; the improvement which comprises:

a pusher means;

a shaft supporting said pusher means for rotation about an axis above said locus;

said billet supporting surfaces being positioned on opposite sides of said locus;

a plate fixed to said shaft;

reciprocal power means having an extended and retracted position operably attached to said plates for rotating said shaft and moving said pusher meanS across said locus;

first and second spaced attaching means on said plate -and means for connecting said reciprocal power means to said first and second attaching means, said first and second attaching means being so spaced that when said power means is fixed at said first attaching means and said power means is in retracted position, said pusher means is adapted to move across said locus toward one of said surfaces `as said power means extends to push a billet at said locus onto one of said surfaces, and said rst and second attaching means being so spaced that when said power means is fixed at said second attaching means and said power means is in extended position, said pusher means is adapted to move across said locus toward another surface as said power means is retracted t0 push a billet at said locus onto said other surface, whereby said pusher means can be selectively controlled to push a billet at said locus onto said sur faces at opposite sides of said locus.

5. In an apparatus for processing heated billets wherein the billets are removed from the furnace to a locus exteriorly of the furnace; and means are provided to transfer said billets from said locus to another area for further processing, the improvement which comprises:

spaced billet supporting surfaces adjacent either side of said locus;

pusher means mounted for pushing said billets at said locus onto one of said spaced billet supporting surfaces;

adjustable control means fixed to said pusher means and movable therewith;

reciprocal power means having an extended and retracted position with one end thereof operably coupled to said adjustable control means to move said pusher means across said locus;

means at iirst and second positions on said adjustable Qontrol means for coupling said one end of said power means to said adjustable control means, said first and second positions being so spaced that when said power means is fixed at said rst position, said pusher means moves across said locus in a first direction to push billets at said locus onto one of said adjacent surfaces as said power means extends, and when said one end of said power means is xed at said second position, said pusher means moveS across said locus in a second direction to push billets at said locus onto another of said adjacent Surfaces as said power means is retracted;

said pusher means being so shaped so as to be able t0 push billets onto said one adjacent surface only when said one end of s-aid power means is xed at said second position of Said adjustable control means, and so as to be able to push billets onto said other adjacent surface only when said one of said power means is xed yat said second position of said adjustable control means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,997,725 8/ 1961 Friedman.

3,045,801 7/1962 Graybeal 198-24 3,315,822 4/1967 Wilson.

3,415,393 12/1968 Scanlon 214-29 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. 214-1 

